Are Telepresence Robots Becoming the Norm for Companies With Work-at-Home Employees?

Not too long ago, employees from various companies and institutions were able to perform their jobs from the comfort of their own homes. Typically this was accomplished with a combination of devices such as a PC, webcam, and phone to complete their tasks. However, it was a rare few who experienced that world.

Things have changed since then. With advances in mobile communications and robotics, employees (and even students) can now use a unique form of telepresence that lets them work from home while maintaining a physical presence in the workplace. Wireless and robotic tech combined, not only give both employers and employees the ability to perform tasks, but also give co-workers the feeling that they’re actually at work with one another. The last five years have truly brought the perspective of using robots in both the workplace and learning institutions.

This trend looks to gain even more momentum. Although there are about a dozen or so telepresence robotic manufacturers at this time, the actual number of businesses or institutions that employ them is sparse (as most are unsure of the payoffs associated with using the robots, and they can be costly). But there have been a few notable instances where the bots have been used.

Click the image below to see them.

Suitable Technologies' Beam RPD sells for $16,000. (Source: Beam)

The most recent instance that made headlines was the development and use of the Beam RPD by engineer Dallas Goecker, who uses the telepresence robot made by Willow Garage offshoot Suitable Technologies to attend work and meetings from his home more than 2,300 miles away from the office. The Beam RPD (Remote Presence Device) stands at 5-feet 2-inches tall and is equipped with a 17-inch screen that projects the user's face to help facilitate interaction with others.

The RPD uses two wide-angle HD cameras that allow for full situational awareness (including navigation) and feeds the video/images back to whoever is in control of the unit (Beam can have multiple users take advantage of the system). Six microphones, with noise and echo cancellation, allow every sound or voice to be heard from multiple locations, which helps provide an atmosphere of actually being in that particular area interacting with others. The bot also comes equipped with a speaker and two dual-band WiFi radios that help prevent signal loss while roaming. It has a top speed of 3mph and recharges in a floor-positioned dock without the need to plug the RPD into a physical socket.

The Beam RPD uses the Beam Pilot Software Client, which allows users to control the bot using a mouse and keyboard and works with both the latest Windows and Mac OSs. The only downside to using the Beam is the cost: $16,000 for the base platform. But, considering the cost of Goecker’s daily commute, the price may be a bargain.

You can still be in your pajamas, you just need to dress from the shoulders up! Remember to blank the screen when you walk away for a cup of coffee.

I have a distant commute, but as a plant engineer often have to 'run down to the shop' to see what's what, or measure things. Someday they'll be able to not only picture, but create 3D models depending on what they see. Although I'll always have to be there some, I could see this reducing my need to be there in person in the future.

Was interesting to see the 'bot in a school setting. I wonder, was that the teacher, or a student? The end of classrooms is already on it's way, especially at high level institutions, no mobility required.

Great report, Cabe. I've wondered for some time when some corporate accountants will start to decide that it's cheaper to keep employees at home because it reduces the size and overhead costs of centralized facilities. If that happens, then telepresence robots seem like the next logical step.

I telecommute 100% of the time. On occasion I must deal with unruly coworkers. So my question is: will there be a robot available that will let me roll up to a coworker in the office and slap them upside the head to get their attention or announce my displeasure? That would be progress indeed.

Definitely a novelty at this point in time. In order for systems like this to more into the mainstream, obviously cost is an issue, but there is also a need to target the necessary set of features that would draw a larger following (especially if the cost is still high). Very interesting concept.

I see these bots as more of a novelty in most cases. People who need to interact with co-workers and have to be mobile would benefit. But I think the tech concept really shines in the situation with Devon, the sick child who attends school with it. It's the best alternative to being there.

I remember when telepresence was a wheeled in tube television and a stationary camera. It's about time this exists. I just hope the price comes down in the near future. Affordable high-end tech spurs innovation. Look at the smartphone's tech bloom.

Well, these robots are certainly pretty cool and give telecommuting a whole new meaning. But like some of the other comments made, I also am not sure how useful they would be unless someone's actual physical presence was really required at work. In my experience, the joy of telecommuting is that people don't necessarily get to see you while you're working at home--it sort of defeats the whole "working in your PJs" mystique (guilty as charged!). The technology itself is interesting, though, and certainly could have its valid applications.

In a recent blog I wrote on the growth of service robotshttp://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=257119a commenter asked about the difference between professional and personal service robots. The robots in Cabe's article here are a good example of personal service robots based on a design platform very similar to some professional service robots: the medical telepresence robots used increasingly in hospitals, which DN's Elizabeth Montalbano wrote about here:http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=249227

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